


Another Day, Another Destiny

by Bazooka_Universe



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Connor Lives, Depression, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Gunshot Wounds, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, References to Suicide, Slow Burn, Some Humor, Swearing, Three Years Later, Zoe and Connor arent as mean to each other as in canon, Zombies, but hey they did survive the apocalypse together, characters will show up eventually, for tree bros anyway, its the Apocalypse what do you expect, let connor say fuck 2k17, not a whole lot though, probably, seriously he curses a LOT, yeah....dont know why im doing this help
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-17 15:52:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12369045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bazooka_Universe/pseuds/Bazooka_Universe
Summary: Zombie Apocalypse AU, in which after Connor took Evans note, the Zombie Apocalypse broke out near them.Set three years later where Evan is just trying to survive on his own. He's always avoided groups, avoided trouble.Then he meets Connor Murphy again, right after the kid tries to rob him.Things just never seem to go his way.(ech summeries kinda shitty but whatever. There is Gay and zombies. What more could you need?)





	1. Help, I'm Alive

"You're either living, or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl, you ain't a boy, you ain't strong or smart, you're alive." -Telltale's the Walking Dead

 

* * *

Evan Hansen really didn't think that _this_ was the way his life was going to turn out, picking the pockets of a corpse he’d just found on the road.

I mean, no one really _expects_ the apocalypse, right?

It had been 3 years since the outbreak started, and the shock of it all still sometimes catches Evan off guard. Like, one day he’ll wake up from a coma or something and learn that none of this was real. But everyday he wakes up with same smelly clothes, the same unwashed hair, and the same feeling of unrelenting hunger.

But hey, at least he’s still around, right?

It was almost a joke. The one kid who tried to kill himself _before_ the apocalypse ends up living through it anyway. He doesn't really understand how he’s gotten this far.

Evan finds an empty revolver, three packs of gum, a granola bar, and a driver's license off the corpse. _Hey, it’s better than nothing._ He thinks as he shoves them into his thoroughly abused backpack.

He slings the Jansport back over his shoulders and continues his way down the overgrown highway. He thinks he is going away from Philidelphia, considering all the signs he sees on the other side of the highway. He had been all over after shit hit the fan, wandering all on his own. He couldn't really bring himself to join a group, considering his brain screamed danger every time he saw another person. His already difficult anxiety problems definitely didn’t help that situation either.

So he has been living the same way he was before shit hit the fan; alone.

Evan heard a small noise, instantly turning around to find the source. His hands found his baseball bat and drew it from his belt loop. He had found the weapon a few days ago after breaking into a sporting goods store, and hammered a couple nails into the thing for good measure.

His eyes swiftly look around the practically empty highway, finding nothing but abandoned cars. He turned around, but still held onto his bat. _It was probably just some animal…maybe…hopefully..._ Evan thought, picking up his pace.

He spots a bright yellow sedan that has all its doors closed, and it’s parked right in the middle of the highway. After taking another panicked look around the area, he raises his bat a little higher. _Might as well see if there is anything useful inside…_ he thought, bringing the bat down on the window.

The glass shattered, thankfully not setting off a car alarm. Before Evan can even blink, it’s there, shoving its grotesque hand towards him and making awful gurgling sounds. A Rotter.

That’s what Evan’s messed up brain has decided to call them; Rotters. He doesn't know anything about them, other then being bitten by them turns you into one. He has had to kill a few, but they creep Evan out everytime he sees one.

Its thankfully trapped by a seatbelt, but Evan still jumps back. He hadn't even noticed the thing lying there. The Rotter is in the backseat behind the driver's seat. It’s once strawberry blonde hair now hangs like threads from its head, and it wears a brightly colored shirt that’s covered with old blood. The smell hits Evan’s nose and he grimaces, but bears through it.

Evan weighs his options. He could just abandon this car, in fact, that's probably the smarter thing to do. But he only has two days worth of food, and he’s desperate. Even though that thing is in the car, it’s still worth the risk of finding food or, god willing, some fresh water. He unlocks the car door from the window, being careful not to get grabbed by the Rotter. He cautiously goes into the car seat, taking his bat with him, and bolts for the passenger side.

The Rotter doesn't nab him, but it's a close thing. Its hands barely miss the heavy backpack Evans wearing, and he chastises himself for not taking it off before going in. _Too late now_ , he thinks, situating himself on the edge of the passengers seat. He starts to go through the glove box as the Rotter growls louder.

Evan finds, thank god, a closed water bottle. Evan smiles, and holds the thing like it's made of glass. You don't find water like this everyday, it's almost a miracle.

However, Evan must have some kind of demon watching over him making sure things don't go his way, because he hears a loud snapping sound come from behind him.

Evan swiftly turns around to find himself face to face with the Rotter, its green tinted teeth gaping wide and aimed towards his face. _The seatbelt must've broken,_ Evan thought. _I’m so fucking stupid!_

The Rotter lunges for him, and Evan pushes its head away with his hand. He uses his feet to try and push the thing away further, but the Rotter is simply not budging. Evan grabs onto its hair and pulls the Rotter’s face away, mere seconds from getting his face gnawed off. The Rotter’s arms flail, trying to get ahold of Evan’s arms to drag him closer to its mouth. Evan’s other arm finds the car handle for the passengers side and unlocks it, sending the two of them sprawling onto the ground.

The Rotter’s jaws are inches from his face, and its fingers dig into Evans arm. _This is definitely it._ Evan thought, not for the first time. _I’m so gonna die here._ He tries in vain to push the undead thing off him in one last final shove, but it does no good.

 _Fuck, that's it._ Evan thinks. _I’m done._

Suddenly, a loud boom echoes around him, and Evan is hit with a blinding pain in his arm. The Rotter flies off him, blood pouring out of it’s head as it flops backward. _A gunshot?_ Evan brain tries to comprehend, but all he can think about is the burning pain in his arm. He cries out, drawing his arm into his body and looking down at the wound.

Three small holes line his hand, one near his wrist, one in the middle of his forearm, and one in the middle of his hand. Blood gushes slowly from each of the wounds, and tears well in his eyes. It felt like his arm was on fire.

Just then Evan sat up, still cradling his wounded arm, and looked around. _What the hell just hit me?_ Evan thought with confusion. He looks to his right and sees the Rotter leaning against the side of the car, half of it’s face take off. Some shells are even embedded inside the car. Evan looks to his left to see a figure a little far away from him, wearing all black and holding a sawed-off shotgun. The figure has a black ski mask covering its face, with dark sunglasses covering its eyes.

“Don't fucking move, asshole.” The figure said. It sounded distinctly male. Evan nodded nervously, and put his hands up.

“Take off the backpack and toss it towards me.” Demanded the ominous figure, raising the shotgun and pointing it at Evan.  “Don't think I won't, cause I will.”

Evan slowly took off the backpack, eyes unblinking. The strange man began to walk closer towards him, shotgun still raised. Evan lowered his head and put the backpack in front of him. Once the man was almost standing over Evan, he stopped mid-stride.

“Wait a minute,” he said, “No way. No fucking way.”

Evan looked up to see him pull down his ski-mask and take off the sunglasses, and the face was somehow familiar to him.

“Evan? Evan Hansen?”

Evan nodded after a second, not used to hearing his own name. _How does he know-_ Just then, it clicked in his brain. He _knew_ who this was.

“C-C-Connor Murphy.” God, his voice sounded hollow and broken. Probably from disuse, considering he hadn't used it in three years.

“Un-fucking-believable.” Connor scoffed. _Ditto,_ Evan thought. He had completely forgotten about Connor Murphy in the three years since the end of the world.

Connor cursed again and ran a hand through his hair. It was still long, in fact, it grew even longer since Evan last saw him that fateful first day of junior year. That afternoon was when shit hit the fan, and Evan hadn't seen him or his sister since. Evan had thought they were dead.

“I thought you were _dead._ ” Connor echoed unknowingly. “How the hell did you survive?”

Evan wasn't sure he knew himself. “Um...ah, l-I really don't know.” he coughed, trying speak after years of silence. “L-L-Luck, I guess?”

“You sure don't seem lucky, considering I had to save your ass.” Connor turned away from him, a hand on his head. “What the _fuck_ , seriously. Of all the fucking people I run into, I swear to christ, what the _hell_ -”

“S-Sorry?” Evan says, cutting off his mumbling. He starts to stand up, putting his hand on his knee to help himself up before gasping in pain. _Right, I got shot, probably shouldn't forget that._

Connor sighed. “Shit, right.” He put his gun away and offered him a hand. “To be fair, I wasn't aiming for you specifically. Just trying to get that asshole off you.”

“S-S-Sorry, again.” Evan said, taking Connors hand and using him to help pull himself up. _Jeez, he hasn't changed much in these three years._ Evan thought. _In fact, his nails are actually still painted black. Wait, what the hell? Where did he find nail polish?? How???_

“Don't be sorry. Hell, I should be feeling sorry, I mean, I shot you.” Connor responded, bringing Evan out of his thoughts. Connor took Evan’s injured arm and looked at the gunshot wounds. He had a thoughtful look on his face.

“Hey, didnt you use to have that cast?”

Evan nodded. “Y-You s-s-signed it, remember?” _Right before you yelled at me and stormed out before I could explain,_ Evan wanted to finish, but didn't.

“Hm, yeah, thats right.” Connor said, “How did you get it off?”

Evan froze and looked down. “Well, a-a-after a year, I….well, I s-stole a kitchen knife, and I s-sawed through it.”

Connor whistled, looking up at Evans face. “Didn't know you had it in you, Hansen.”

He dropped the arm. “Looks like the bullets didn't go through. A buckshot never really does that, unfortunately.” he rubbed a hand over his face. “Listen….shit…. I thought you were just going to be some unlucky asshole I could rob. But then you just _had_ to go and be Evan-fucking-Hansen.” He picks up Evans backpack and offered it to him. “So just this once, I’ll help you out.”

Evan took the bag hesitantly. “W-Why? It’s not like we were f-f-friends or anything.”

Connor sighed. “I read that letter, Hansen. When I finally got me and Zoe safe and shit died down I fucking read your letter.” Evans eyes widened. He had completely forgotten that Connor had taken his therapy letter, even though it felt like a huge problem at the time. “I didn't really understand, but I felt fucking horrible afterwards because it made me feel like a huge asshole for assuming shit. So maybe I wanna help you just ‘cause I felt bad for being an ass. Or maybe I wanna help you ‘cause it’ll make Zoe happy.” Connor shrugged. “Either way, you’re coming with me.”

“O-okay?” Evan stuttered as Connor took Evans uninjured arm and began to drag him away from the car. Evan shifted out of his grip. “Y-y-you don't have to drag me,”

Connor simply nodded and let go. “Fine.”

Evan placed the Jansport over his shoulders and walked side by side with Connor to...somewhere. _God, I hope this whole apocalypse thing hasn't turned him into some crazy cannibal or something, cause that would really suck._ He thought.

They walked in silence for a while, before Evan broke it by clearing his throat. “S-So, Zoe, she’s okay?”

Connor paused, then nodded. “I mean, yeah mostly.” He turned to look at him. “If you say one fucking thing about her eye when you see her I’m kicking you to the curb.”

“Her eye?” Evan asked. “What’s wrong with-”

“Nothing. Don't fucking mention it when you see her.” Connor said cryptically, looking ahead.

“Right,” Evan said, more to himself then to Connor. _I’ve just been shot by Connor Murphy after he saved my life. Then he tried to rob me, but he said he was sorry and wants to help me now._ Evan recapped. _How is this my life again?_

The two of them walked as the sun was beginning to set, turning the sky bright orange. _At least my life can't get any weirder than this,_ Evan thought as he walked with Connor, the silence stretching between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -First work in this fandom, so its probably shit. :) Oh well!  
> -Thanks for reading my shit! This is like, my first fanfiction in like, EVER. Last time I wrote anything was like, months ago. So i decided to get back into the swing of things with some DEH. Hopefully its not total shit!  
> -Anyway, this Au is basically where after Connor took Evans note, the Zombie Apocalypse broke out near them. Connor and Zoes parents are dead, but Heidi is simply missing.  
> -This is prob OOC, but whatever. It will get better as I add more dialogue. Trust me, I have some fun ideas for the story later.  
> -Also, today on “I swear I’m a writer not a serial killer”: I had to look up ‘will a car alarm activate when breaking a window’ and ‘how to lockpick a car’. I've probably been put on some watch list for car theft by now, oh well. I also had to look up what sawed-off shotguns were, cause I am not a gun person and I didn't know if having the shotgun sawed off made any real difference.  
> -And yes, the title is a Les Mis reference. Cause goddamn it, musicals have destroyed me. Brb, I'm going to cry in the corner while I listen to 'empty chairs at empty tables' for the five hundredth time.  
> -FUCK action scenes. I haven really written any before and this one was PAINFUL. I'll get better with practice but HOLY SHIT dude seriously why did I do this to myself  
> -I'm also gonna put warnings in these sections, so if you must please check the notes before you read if you feel like it.  
> -My tumblr is https://bazookauniverseblr.tumblr.com/! I post broadway stuff and memes on occasion!  
> -Title is based on 'Help I'm Alive' by Metric... heres a link...https://youtu.be/ZoK63Bk7pgw   
> -Anyway, please comment! Please! I love comments so much they give me LIFE.  
> Hope you have a wonderful day!


	2. The World Spins Madly On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan and Connor go on a trek to find some medial supplies, now with more blasts from the past

The blood from Evans arm made small dripping noises as it fell to the concrete road. Evan cradled his injured arm, trying to go get blood on the floor. The last thing he needed was to get tracked down, either by something living or by something dead.

Connor had taken Evan off an exit from the highway Evan was walking on, and now they were on some street surrounded by trees. The pain was steadily growing more unmanageable as Evan walked, the bullet wounds throbbing in time with his pulse.

“So, w-where exactly are w-w-we going?” Evan spoke up, his voice cracking mid-way through his sentence.

Connor gave him an unreadable look before shrugging. “There is this old radio station we’ve been camping out in. It’s a pretty good hideout,” He sighed. “Though, we are going to have to leave the building soon.”

“Why?”

“Low supplies.” Connor said simply. “It sucks though, that place still has a working generator.”

“A generator...w-wait so, you a-actually have power?”

Connor smirked. “Yeah, how long has it been since you listened to some music, hm?”

Evan exhaled sharply. “You c-can play music?”

“Yep.” Connor said, popping the ‘P’ at the end. “Since it used to play songs over the radio, there’s all these old CD’s and records.”

“You can’t be s-serious,” Evan said, rolling his eyes at COnnors smirk. “N-no shit you a-a-actually have music.”

“Yes shit.” Connor said, a smirk on his face. He pointed to a small, dirt path that led into a forest. “Cmon, we gotta cut through the woods.” 

Evan nodded as they turned off the main road and started to walk through the thick wood.

“So...if-if you don't m-m-mind me asking, w-what happened to your parents?”

Connor froze for a second before continuing to walk, and Evan blushed, embarrassed. “I-I mean! You don't have to tell me, f-forget I asked-”

“It's fine.” Connor said, cutting Evan off. He put his hands into the pocket of his black hoodie. “My parents went the same way everyone else went.”

“They...They got infected?”

“Yeah.” He said, shrugging. “When we got home they were already...you know...”

“Jeez, I...I'm sorry.” 

Connor scoffed. “Don't be. They never really gave a shit about me anyway.”

Evan wanted to protest, but decided against it and dropped the subject.  _ I don't want him to hate me more than he does already _

“So what about you, Hansen?”

“What?”

“What happened to  _ your _ parents?” 

Evan stared at him dumbly. He hadn't thought about his mom in forever. “Well...I don't really know.” he shrugged. “I mean, I-I-I got h-home, and...and s-she just wasn't there.”

There was silence for a bit, and Evan panicked, “I mean, all her stuff was there but she was gone. And...and...and though she usually wasn't home a lot this-this time it was different, because she should have  _ been _ home by then and-” 

“Chill out, Hansen.” Connor cut off his ramblings, and Evan immediately turned red. “I get it.”

Evan looked down in shame. “Uh, right.”

There was a brief pause, and then, “What about your Dad?” 

“My Dad?” Evan picked at his forest-green sweatshirt sleeve. “He… He left my Mom when I was y-younger. I don't know where he is, and...and I really don't care.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “Well whoop-de-fuckin’-doo, guess we both found something we have in common.”

“What's t-that?”

“We both hate our dead Dads.”

There was a pause, the silence filled by the wind rustling the leaves. Until Evan heard something else underneath all the rustling. Evan listened closer, and heard some far away noise he couldn't place.

Evan looked around to see a figure in the distance. He squinted, trying to get a good look at the being. It walked with a strange limp, the telltale sign of a Rotter. Evan’s eyes widened, and looked over at Connor. He seemed to be spaced out, not seeing the Rotter in front of him.

“C-Connor! A Rotter!” Evan said, pointing with his uninjured arm.

“A what?” Connor looked up, tense, and his posture shifted when he saw the monster. “Shit, hold up,” He said, taking out a screwdriver. He picked up his pace, and walked closer to the Rotter

“Why don't you just s-shoot it?” Evan said, trying to sound louder and failing, his voice merely coming off as hoarse.

“Don't wanna draw anymore of them.” Connor called back, taking a defensive stance. The Rotter lunged toward him, gurgling loudly. Before Evan could even be a little worried, Connor had kicked out the leg from underneath it and sent the Rotter sprawling on the ground. The Rotter didn't have a chance to get up as Connor plunged the screwdriver into its forehead. The Rotter’s growls stopped, and silence greeted the two of them once more.

Evan walked up to Connor as he put the screwdriver away. “T-thats a neat trick.”

Connor rolled his eyes. “It’s not a trick, it’s common sense, dumbass.” He wiped his hands on his knees. “You take down the legs and it falls. It’s not rocket science.”

Evan nodded, and Connor began to walk away. Evan followed close behind him, and they walked in silence

“Rotters, huh?” Connor started, crossing his arms. “You call them Rotters?”

“...Yeah,” Evan nodded. “W-what do y-y-you call them?”

Connor shrugged. “I just call them Assholes.”

Evan chuckled softly, the first time he had ever really laughed since-

Since.

“What?” Connor said sarcastically. “Not all of us can come up with a dramatic ass name like ‘Rotter’. I mean seriously, when did you become so over-the-top?”

Evan chuckled louder, his face sore from smiling. Connor stared at him for a moment before smiling himself. He looked ahead, and a surprised look came over his face.

“Huh, looks like we’re here.” Connor said, gesturing to the clearing in front of him. In the clearing was an old, red brick building. It looked about two stories tall, and had a giant antennae on the roof that reached towards the sky. The entire building was covered in moss, and surrounded by a chain link fence which was currently blocking their path.

“Here,” Connor said, pulling back a price of broken fence, revealing a small hole. “We never use the front entrance, too easy to spot us coming in and out.”

Evan nodded, and bent down to go through the hole. His vision blurred for a moment, and his world seemed to tilt before quickly righting himself. 

_ Right...my arm, _ Evan remembered. The pain had faded in the background while he talked to Connor. But now that he had nothing to distract himself, the pain is now in the forefront of his mind.

Evan crawled through the hole, Connor close behind him. They walked through the small grassy area, heading for a backdoor to the building.

Once inside, Evan looked around the makeshift hideout while clutching his injured arm, careful not to get blood on the floor. The whole room was mostly empty, desks and other furniture stacked up near the walls. The floor was hard and a clinical white color, with various stains littering the tiles. A set of stairs with a yellow railing led to the upper floor. There was a small room underneath the staircase, with cans of food stacked inside. The place was featureless, but looked as if it had been well lived in, with chairs and a table set up in the middle of the large room.

“Zoe! I’m back!” Connor yelled, startling Evan. Connor had gone to a small wall near the entrance of the room that was covered in weapons and tools while Evan looked around. Connor took off his backpack and hung up his sawed-off shotgun. “Zoe?” He yelled louder.

“Connor!” Evan turned to see who spoke, hand halfway to his baseball bat before freezing.

The women walking down the stairs and towards the two of them is none other than Zoe Murphy.

_ She’s so….different now _ . Evan thought as she walked over to Connor to give him a short hug. 

“Glad you're not dead, asshole.” she said, no bite to her words. 

Gone were the days of indigo-colored streaks in her long, chestnut brown hair. It  was now sloppily cut and very short, almost like a pixie cut. She was wearing a tank-top, which revealed thin, white scars criss-crossing her left arm. She wore jeans, with dark stains on the cuffs. She looked...well, she looked like she could kick Evan’s ass no problem.

The thing that struck him the most, however, was her eye. She had a white eyepatch with a first aid symbol plastered onto it, covering the eye itself. But that didn't conceal the scarred skin that surrounded the eyepatch. It looked as if it had been burnt, the mottled skin taking up a large portion of the left side of her face. The scar ended at about her cheek, which weirdly distorted her face as she gave a small smile.

_Don't mention it, don't mention it,_ Evan chanted to himself, immediately looking away from the two of them. _Don't stare at it!!!_ _If you mention it Connor will kick you out!!!!_

“Who’s that?” Zoe asked, finally noticing Evan and giving him the once over. “And why the hell is he bleeding?”

Connor sighed as Evan blushed. He didn't really expect her to remember a nobody like him, but it still was disheartening to hear it out loud. “This is Evan Hansen, Zoe, remember? From before...?”

Zoe’s eyes widened in recognition, causing Evan to blush harder. “Oh yeah!” She stepped towards him, bringing her arm on Evan's shoulder. “You're that kid who Connor stole that letter off of, right?”

Evan nodded, but the movement made his vision swim. He blinked rapidly, suddenly feeling very dizzy. “Uh...um, yeah. Thats...Thats me.”

Well, it’s good to see you.” Zoe smiled. “I thought...well, we thought everyone who used to live near us was dead.”

Evan nodded again, and a shockwave of pain shot through his arm. He gasped and reached for the wounds, his hand gripping his own flesh. Blood covered his hands as he began to shake, and Evan felt as if his legs were made of jello.

“Shit,” Connor exclaimed, taking Evan by the uninjured arm and propping him up so he couldn't fall. “He’s been bleeding out the whole way here. I….probably should've tried getting here quicker.”

Zoe made a frustrated noise. “Connor!” She took Evan’s other arm gingerly, and started to carry Evan's weight as well. “Quick, help me get him to the record room. My supplies are there.”

Evans brain could hardly keep up with where he was going. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to get his bearings. He felt weightless, and all he could focus on were their two voices.

“What happened?”

“I...shot him?”

“Connor! What the hell!”

“Not in purpose! An Asshole was lying on top of him , so I shot it off. I probably shouldn't have used the shotgun, but- ”

“ Was he bitten? ” a pause. “ Connor,  is he infected!? ”

“ ...I'm not sure , actually. I...never checked. ”

The voices faded, and Evan was dragged down into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Yeye I have updated once more!  
> -Sorry for some confusion; this will have many chapters. I forgot to label it like that, so whoops!   
> -Ill try to update every week. Its seemingly working out well if I do it weekly, SO STAY TUNED.  
> -I swear there is a reason why Zoe has a kill bill eye patch. Its not just cause I wanted it in the story. Nope. There's a reason, I swear.  
> -ALSO I have gotten my friend into DEH by making her listen to 'Good For You' after trying to convince her to try the musical SINCE FOREVER. So I'm feeling blessed that I have brought someone down with me >:)  
> -I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT A RADIO STATION LOOKS LIKE, FORGIVE ME.  
> I always feel like characters are OOC when I write them....ahhh whatever. Hope its not too shitty!  
> -Title for this chapter is based off a song by The Weepies....here is the link my dudes...https://youtu.be/rXgXFwnrGqE  
> -Thats it and thats all have a wonderful day my folks!!!  
> ~Bazooka Universe


	3. Haunt Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan wakes up, and some music fun times happen, as well as more wholesome Zoe content

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Links to the songs mentioned in this chapter in case you've never heard of them;  
> Easy By Commodores- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmyHndk3WIM  
> Hooked on a feeling by Blue Swede- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrI-UBIB8Jk

_I know it sounds funny, but I just can't stand the pain._

_Girl I’m leaving you tomorrow._

_It seems to me girl, you know I've done all I can._

_You see I’ve beg stole and I’ve borrowed…._

 

Evan blinked his eyes, slowly coming back into consciousness. A dull throb sent beats of pain through his arm, effectively waking him faster. Evan sat up, rubbing his eyes, and looked around the small room. The room was stacked wall to wall, floor to ceiling, with every kind of CD you could imagine, all sorted alphabetically. One wall was stacked full of records, each one jutting out from the shelf they laid on. Evan was lying on a mattress at the end of the small room, a window showering pale light from behind him. He swung himself around on the side of the bed to face the open doorway.

His arm had been bandaged up, some blood had dried on the surface of the bandage. Evan held his arm gingerly, and found a small glass of water standing next to the cot. Evan took it carefully, taking a small sip.

It was just then that he noticed the music. Something was playing in the room next door, and he could distinctly hear a piano, trumpets, and some drums.

 

_I'm not happy when I try to fake it..._

_No...Ooooh…_

_That's why I'm easy..._

_I'm easy like sunday morning, yeah._

_That's why I'm easy..._

_I'm easy like sunday morning._

 

Evan knew this song, he had heard it a couple times before, but he simply couldn't remember what it was called or who sang it. The song was overly joyful and upbeat, which made it jarring to hear. He heard some footsteps, and then Zoe appeared in the open doorway.

“Ah! You’re awake then.”  She walked over to Evan, sitting in a chair set up next to the mattress. “Here, I got you some painkillers.”

Evan shook his head, “No... I c-couldn't.” His voice sounded a bit better from before, but not by much.

Zoe rolled her eyes. “If I didn't want to use supplies on you then I wouldn't have wrapped up your arm.” She gestured towards the pills in her hands. “Trust me, you’re gonna need these.”

Evan cautiously took the burgundy-colored pills from Zoe, picking up the glass of water with his other hand.

As he took the pill, his mind was racing. The last time he saw Zoe he had a huge crush on her. Zoe was everything to him, and becoming her boyfriend seemed like an impossible task.

But after what happened, he just didn't feel the same.

Sure, maybe it was the pain meds talking, but Evan just didn't feel like Zoe was his entire world anymore. His infatuation with her seemed like the most important thing at the time. But now that years have passed, and Evan has seen Hell incarnate, his love for her seemed small in comparison.

Coming back to reality, Evan found himself staring at Zoe’s eye unconsciously. He flinched and looked down.

Zoe sighed. “I get it. The eye is weird. You can stare if you want to.”

Evan looked up, shocked. Zoe just looked resigned and a little pissed off.

“I’m sorry!” Evan proclaimed, waving his arms minutely. “It's just...Y-You had your eye b-before and I…” Evan blushed, embarrassed.

“You want to know how it happened, right?” Zoe said, a half-smile on her face. Evan gave a small nod.

Zoe sighed. “To make a long-ass story short, I got thrown out a big-ass display window.” Zoe showed Evan her arm, showing white lashes across her arms. “Glass cut me up pretty much everywhere, including a large shard getting caught up in my eye.”

“Jesus,” Evan said, now suddenly hyper-aware of his own eyes and winced in sympathy.

Zoe scoffed. “Yeah. It sucked.” She paused. “Later we ran into this group with a Doctor and he helped me get the shard out without killing me. He also taught me a bit of first aid as well, so, when he left I became the resident Doctor of the group.”

“I-Is that why you have the f-f-first aid symbol on your e-eyepatch?”

She smiled, “Well, yeah. We raided a Halloween store, and Connor told me to pick out which eyepatch was the most badass.”

Evan smiled softly, “Where is C-Connor anyway?”

Zoe rolled her eyes. “Sleeping probably. Lazy ass.” She cracked her neck. “You know, we thought you were bitten for a second there.”

Evan’s eyes widened. “I’m not!” He practically yelled. “I s-swear!”

Zoe laughed. “Don't worry, we didn't find any bites. Just thought I should tell you, in case you were worried about that.” She got up off her chair. “C’mon, I’ll show you the studio.”

Evan nodded and followed Zoe through a narrow hallway. There were many open doorways that led to darkened rooms, but they passed by them all. Zoe led him to a room with an enormous desk with a switchboard laid on top of it. Next to the desk was a wall full of different kinds of stereos and CD players. There was even a small turntable with a record laid across it.

“We can play all kinds of music in here. CDs, cassette tapes, even vinyl records.” Zoe remarked, sitting down at the chair behind the desk.

Evan was looking around the room, taking it all in. He spotted a handmade CD case that was written on in black permanent marker. It read ‘Connor’s bombass playlist’ and had many different artists that Evan had never heard of before.

Zoe saw what he was looking at and rolled her eyes. “Connor made that shit when we first got here. Its full of his emo preteen bullshit.”

Evan smiled a little and looked over at the turntable. “What record is in there now?”

Zoe grew a thoughtful look. “Actually, I'm not sure.” She scooted over to the table, still in the wheeled chair.  Her face lit up with a smile, and she quickly fired up the machine, placing the needle onto the record.

 

_Ooga-chacka, ooga ooga_

_Ooga-chacka, ooga ooga_

 

Evan jolted in surprise before laughing as Zoe turned around in her chair and started to lip-synch to the words.

 

_I can't stop this feeling_

_Deep inside of me_

_Girl, you just don't realize_

_What you do to me_

 

“It's the first Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack,” Zoe started, yelling over the music.

“On vinyl?” Evan asked, a smile on his face.

“You betcha!” Zoe laughed, “Hold on, this is the best part!” She began to sing along to the song as loud as she could.

 

_I'm hooked on a feeling_

_I'm high on believing_

_That you're in love with me_

 

Zoe pounded her arm to the beat of the music, spinning joyfully in her chair.

Just then, Connor entered the room. “Turn that shit down, I'm trying to sleep!”

Zoe crossed her arms. “If I was playing your shitty music you would've loved it!” She yelled back.

Connor scoffed, and looked over to Evan. “You're awake then?”

Evan nodded, unsure of what to say.

“Do you still sound like you've been chain smoking?”

Evan felt his face heat up. “Um, I-I-I don't think so?”

Connor nodded with a blank look on his face. “Good,” He remarked, going over to the desk and turning the volume down. “Do you want to attract every Asshole near us? Or are you just that stupid?”

Zoe gave him a nasty stare. “Its soundproofed, Jackass. No matter how loud I turn up the music, you can't hear it out there.” She gestured to the wall. “You’re such a buzzkill.”

Connor sighed. “Whatever.” He grabbed Evan by his uninjured arm. “C’mon, I gotta show you something.”  
Evan blushed even harder and nodded, following him out the door.

“Bye asshat!” Zoe called out from the room, turning up the music once more.

Connor rolled his eyes and out his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. “Ignore her. She can be a bitch sometimes.”  
The two of them walked through the small hallway, awards and band posters decorating the walls. Evan cleared his throat, wondering if he should ask if Connor and Zoe actually hated each other or if it was teasing. He was really confused by their relationship, but then again, he didn't want to get kicked out or worse. So he just kept his mouth shut as Connor led him through the confusing hallways.

Connor turned right suddenly, entering a room and turning on a light. “Here, I set up a room.” He remarked.

Evan entered the small space. It had off-white walls, with a dark green carpet like the hallways and other rooms. It had a small desk taking up most of the room, with a wall of powered-down monitors taking up most of the space on top of it. There was a small cot lying next to the desk, with a poster for the Beatles plastered over the bed.

“This used to be the security surveillance room. It’s not much, but I figured if you’re going to stay here I might as well get you a bed.” Connor remarked as Evan sat onto the bed. It was surprisingly soft, considering.

“Wait,” Evan said, eyes widening. “I c-c-can stay?”

Connor shifted and didn't make eye contact, obviously uncomfortable. “I mean, you don't _have_ to stay, you can leave whenever you want. I figured you can at least stay until your arm recovers.”

Evan smiled. “Th-Thank you so much! O-Of course I’ll s-stay here, the room is p-p-perfect.”

Connor looked embarrassed, a small blush taking over his cheeks. “Yeah. Cool.” He turned around, hesitating for a second, “There is some books on the desk if you get bored. I'll be around.” He stated cryptically before swiftly leaving.

Evan watched him leave, still wondering if this was some weird fever dream. The whole situation seemed too good to be real, and Evan expected to wake up from this dream any second. He hadn't had a place to stay since that group he had crashed with in the daycare center near Boston, and that had been forever ago. He laid down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Maybe living with Zoe and Connor won't be such a bad idea after all. I mean, they have power and actual, real live music. Evan had been expecting them to just throw him out back into the wild after helping him out. But not only had they used precious supplies on him, they also gave him a place to stay! _Now I can only hope they don't get sick of me,_ Evan thought, trying to not get his hope up.

He sat up, picking up one of the books Connor mentioned. It was The Hobbit, and the book was significantly beat up, with a huge stain covering the front cover. But the inside of the book seemed undamaged. Evan smiled and flipped through the pages, feeling like the luckiest person on earth. _Hopefully this lasts,_ Evan thought as he began to read.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Okay I know it was late and its also short but heck man I got sick and I got a play coming up so Im dead y'all  
> -Yes, I chose Easy because Baby Driver is my fav movie fIGHT ME  
> -Hooked on a Feeling was chosen cause I learned that it was put on vinyl and it made my day  
> -SEE I told you there's a reason why Zoe has the Kill Bill eyepatch! Its probably shitty but whatever its too late  
> -Not all that confident in this chapter but whatever I SAID I WOULD UPDATE EVERY WEEK SO I'M DOING IT  
> \- I was going to have Evan choose his own song but I COULDN'T FIND A SONG THAT HE WOULD ENJOY Im bad at figuring out other characters music tastes cause my own is so shitty  
> \- Saying that, You bet your ass that My Chemical Romance is on Connors bombass playlist. LIKE YOU KNOW. (also I feel like he would listen to Mother Mother so that probably on that playlist as well.)  
> -Title is from a song called Haunt me (x3) by Teen Suicide. Link-https://youtu.be/4yHuDKlcn-k  
> -Also I own a copy of the Hobbit thats fucked up. Pages glued together, weird stains, no book cover. Got it from a yard sale. Who knows where those stains are from tbh.  
> -Better chapters coming soon! See you later skaters!  
> ~Bazooka Universe


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